Lecture overhead

Introduction to project 1

Rioult-Pedotti et al. (1998)

1. Paradigm:
1. learning à changes in brain
2. Questions:
1. Where?
2. What Mechanism?
3. Experiment
1. train rats to learn a motor skill and look for increase in synaptic efficacy
2. To see if rats store skill memories using LTP-like process
4. Concept: Long-term potentiation (LTP)
1. a model of memory storage.
2. increase in synaptic efficacy following high frequency stimulation of an afferent pathway

Methods

1. trained rats on a unilateral reaching task
2. measured field potentials in both hemispheres
1. are they bigger in the trained hemisphere?
3. tried to induce LTP in both hemispheres
1. if training used LTP, it should be more difficult to induce LTP in trained hemisphere

Results

1. Field potential amplitude is larger in trained hemisphere.
1. The increase in amplitude resembles LTP.
2. It is more difficult to induce LTP in the trained hemisphere.
1. This suggests that training 'used up' most of the available LTP.

Conclusion

1. Acquisition of a motor skill is accompanied by an increase in synaptic efficacy.
2. The increased efficacy appears to be due to an LTP-like process

Our Experiment

1. We will attempt to replicate the first part of the Rioult-Pedotti experiment:
1. we want to show that learning a motor skill increases synaptic efficacy
2. we will NOT examine whether or not this increase is due to LTP

Methods

1. Train rats to reach for a rice crispie with one paw
1. Apparatus
2. Perform surgery to measure the amplitude of field potentials in both hemispheres
3. You (that's right you) analyze the data and write up brilliant lab reports